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Chalkea ZS, Papavranoussi-Daponte D, Polissidis A, Kampisioulis M, Pagaki-Skaliora M, Konsolaki E, Skaliora I. Fear Conditioning by Proxy: The Role of High Affinity Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15143. [PMID: 37894831 PMCID: PMC10606983 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Observational fear-learning studies in genetically modified animals enable the investigation of the mechanisms underlying the social transmission of fear-related information. Here, we used a three-day protocol to examine fear conditioning by proxy (FCbP) in wild-type mice (C57BL/6J) and mice lacking the β2-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Male animals of both genotypes were exposed to a previously fear-conditioned (FC) cage mate during the presentation of the conditioned stimulus (CS, tone). On the following day, observer (FCbP) mice were tested for fear reactions to the tone: none of the β2-KO mice froze to the stimulus, while 30% of the wild-type mice expressed significant freezing. An investigation of the possible factors that predicted the fear response revealed that only wild-type mice that exhibited enhanced and more flexible social interaction with the FC cage mate during tone presentations (Day 2) expressed fear toward the CS (Day-3). Our results indicate that (i) FCbP is possible in mice; (ii) the social transmission of fear depends on the interaction pattern between animals during the FCbP session and (iii) β2-KO mice display a more rigid interaction pattern compared to wild-type mice and are unable to acquire such information. These data suggest that β2-nAChRs influence observational fear learning indirectly through their effect on social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinovia Stavroula Chalkea
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (D.P.-D.); (M.K.)
- Master’s Program in Cognitive Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Danai Papavranoussi-Daponte
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (D.P.-D.); (M.K.)
- Athens International Master’s Program in Neurosciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Alexia Polissidis
- American College of Greece Research Center (ACG-RC), 15342 Athens, Greece;
- Center for Experimental, Clinical, and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Marinos Kampisioulis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (D.P.-D.); (M.K.)
| | | | - Eleni Konsolaki
- Psychology Department, Deree-The American College of Greece, 15342 Athens, Greece
| | - Irini Skaliora
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (D.P.-D.); (M.K.)
- Master’s Program in Cognitive Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
- Athens International Master’s Program in Neurosciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
- Department of History and Philosophy of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
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Aquino TG, Cockburn J, Mamelak AN, Rutishauser U, O'Doherty JP. Neurons in human pre-supplementary motor area encode key computations for value-based choice. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:970-985. [PMID: 36959327 PMCID: PMC10330469 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01548-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive behaviour in real-world environments requires that choices integrate several variables, including the novelty of the options under consideration, their expected value and uncertainty in value estimation. Here, to probe how integration over decision variables occurs during decision-making, we recorded neurons from the human pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA), ventromedial prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate. Unlike the other areas, preSMA neurons not only represented separate pre-decision variables for each choice option but also encoded an integrated utility signal for each choice option and, subsequently, the decision itself. Post-decision encoding of variables for the chosen option was more widely distributed and especially prominent in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Our findings position the human preSMA as central to the implementation of value-based decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas G Aquino
- Computation and Neural Systems, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Cockburn
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Adam N Mamelak
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ueli Rutishauser
- Computation and Neural Systems, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Computation and Neural Systems, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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Demographics, clinical characteristics and cognitive symptoms of heavy smokers and non-heavy smokers in Chinese male patients with chronic schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:1325-1333. [PMID: 35474549 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01410-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Many studies have shown a high smoking rate and cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia. The effects of smoking and nicotine intake on cognitive function in schizophrenia are still controversial. In this study, we divided patients into heavy smoking and non-heavy smoking groups and compared the clinical characteristics and cognitive symptoms between the two groups in Chinese male patients with schizophrenia. A total of 154 heavy smoking patients and 372 non-heavy smoking patients were recruited. They completed a detailed questionnaire including general and socio-demographic data. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was rated for psychopathology. The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) was used to assess the degree of nicotine dependence. Heavy smokers were younger, started smoking earlier and had a higher FTND total score than non-heavy smoking patients. Moreover, we found that heavy smokers had significantly lower negative symptom scores and cognitive factor scores than non-heavy smokers. Logistic regression analysis showed that cognitive factor score and age of initial smoking were significantly associated with heavy smoking. Linear regression analysis showed that cognitive factor score, age of initial smoking and dose of antipsychotics were significant predictors of the amount of smoking. Our findings suggest that there are significant differences in some demographic and clinical variables between heavy and non-heavy smokers in Chinese male patients with chronic schizophrenia. Moreover, heavy smokers have less cognitive symptoms, suggesting that heavy smoking may be beneficial for cognition of patients with schizophrenia.
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Zhang T, Nishitani N, Niitani K, Nishida R, Futami Y, Deyama S, Kaneda K. A spatiotemporal increase of neuronal activity accompanies the motivational effect of wheel running in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113981. [PMID: 35777550 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal activity underlying the motivational effect of rotating running wheels (RWs) in rodents remain largely undetermined. Here, we investigated changes of neuronal activity among brain regions associated with motivation across different intensities of motivation for RWs in mice. Daily exposure to RWs gradually increased rotation number, then became stable after approximately 3 weeks. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the number of c-Fos (a neuronal activity marker)-positive cells increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), core and shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), dorsal striatum (Str), and lateral septum (LS) at day 1, day 9, and days 20-24, in a time-dependent manner. Additionally, despite exposure to locked RWs for over 7 days after establishing stable rotation with 3-week RW access, increased c-Fos expression was still observed in most of these brain areas. Furthermore, daily overnight RW access developed stable rotation by day 6, with high and low rotation numbers at the start and end of the overnight session, respectively. The number of c-Fos-positive cells at the start of RW rotation was significantly higher than at the end of RW rotation in most brain regions. Furthermore, after establishing stable rotation, the number of c-Fos-positive cells increased in the mPFC and shell of the NAc of mice that only observed RWs. These findings suggest that the subareas of the mPFC and NAc may be critically involved in the motivational effects of RW rotations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Naoya Nishitani
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Kazuhei Niitani
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Ryoma Nishida
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yusaku Futami
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Deyama
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kaneda
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
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Zhang J, Navarrete M, Wu Y, Zhou Y. 14-3-3 Dysfunction in Dorsal Hippocampus CA1 (dCA1) Induces Psychomotor Behavior via a dCA1-Lateral Septum-Ventral Tegmental Area Pathway. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:817227. [PMID: 35237127 PMCID: PMC8882652 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.817227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
While hippocampal hyperactivity is implicated in psychosis by both human and animal studies, whether it induces a hyperdopaminergic state and the underlying neural circuitry remains elusive. Previous studies established that region-specific inhibition of 14-3-3 proteins in the dorsal hippocampus CA1 (dCA1) induces schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice, including a novelty-induced locomotor hyperactivity. In this study, we showed that 14-3-3 dysfunction in the dCA1 over-activates ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, and such over-activation is necessary for eliciting psychomotor behavior in mice. We demonstrated that such hippocampal dysregulation of the VTA during psychomotor behavior is dependent on an over-activation of the lateral septum (LS), given that inhibition of the LS attenuates over-activation of dopaminergic neurons and psychomotor behavior induced by 14-3-3 inhibition in the dCA1. Moreover, 14-3-3 inhibition-induced neuronal activations within the dCA1-LS-VTA pathway and psychomotor behavior can be reproduced by direct chemogenetic activation of LS-projecting dCA1 neurons. Collectively, these results suggest that 14-3-3 dysfunction in the dCA1 results in hippocampal hyperactivation which leads to psychomotor behavior via a dCA1-LS-VTA pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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Effect of dimethyl fumarate on the changes in the medial prefrontal cortex structure and behavior in the poly(I:C)-induced maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia in the male mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113581. [PMID: 34530042 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The link between maternal immune activation (MIA) and the risk of developing schizophrenia (SCZ) later in life has been of major focus in recent years. This link could be bridged by activated inflammatory pathways and excessive cytokine release resulting in adverse effects on behavior, histology, and cytoarchitecture. The down-regulatory effects of immunomodulatory agents on the activated glial cells and their therapeutic effects on schizophrenic patients are consistent with this hypothesis. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug dimethyl fumarate (DMF) could rescue impacts of prenatal exposure to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)]. METHODS Pregnant dams were administered poly(I:C) at gestational day 9.5. Offspring born from these mothers were treated with DMF for fourteen consecutive days from postnatal day 80 and were assessed behaviorally before and after treatment. The brains were then stained with Cresyl Violet or Golgi-Cox. In addition to the estimation of stereological parameters, cytoarchitectural changes were also evaluated in the medial prefrontal cortex. RESULTS MIA caused some abnormalities in behavior, as well as changes in the number of neurons and non-neurons. These alterations were also extended to pyramidal layer III neurons with a significant decrease in dendritic complexity and spine density which DMF treatment could prevent these changes. Furthermore, DMF treatment was also effective against abnormal exploratory and depression-related behavior, but not the changes in the number of cells. CONCLUSION These findings support the idea of using anti-inflammatory agents as adjunctive therapy in patients with SCZ.
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McGregor M, Richer K, Ananth M, Thanos PK. The functional networks of a novel environment: Neural activity mapping in awake unrestrained rats using positron emission tomography. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01646. [PMID: 32562468 PMCID: PMC7428510 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Novel environment stimulation is thought to have an important role in cognitive development and has been shown to encourage exploratory behavior in rats. However, psychopathology or perceived danger or stress can impede this exploratory drive. The balance between brain circuits controlling the exploratory drive elicited by a novel environment, and the avoidance response to stressors, is not well understood. METHODS Using positron emission tomography (PET) and the glucose analog [18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), we assessed awake brain glucose metabolism (BGluM) in rats while in a novel environment (cage of an unfamiliar male rat) and non-novel environment (the animal's home cage). RESULTS Exposure to the novel environment increased BGluM in regions associated with vision (visual cortex), motor function and motivated behavior (striatum and motor cortex), and anxiety (stria terminalis), and decreased BGluM in regions associated with auditory processing (auditory cortex, insular cortex, inferior colliculus), locomotor activity (globus pallidus, striatum, motor cortex, ventral thalamic nucleus), spatial navigation (retrosplenial cortex), and working memory (hippocampus, cingulate cortex, prelimbic cortex, orbitofrontal cortex). CONCLUSION These results suggest that the novel cage is a stressful environment that inhibits activity in brain regions associated with exploratory behavior. Patterns of inhibition in the novel cage also support the proposed rat default mode network, indicating that animals are more cognitively engaged in this environment. Additionally, these data support the unique capability of combining FDG-PET with psychopharmacology experiments to examine novelty seeking and brain activation in the context of decision making, risk taking, and cognitive function more generally, along with response to environmental or stress challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew McGregor
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions, Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biosciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaleigh Richer
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions, Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biosciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mala Ananth
- Department of Neurobiology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Panayotis K Thanos
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions, Clinical Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biosciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca D Burwell
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Victoria L Templer
- Department of Psychology, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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Newmyer BA, Whindleton CM, Klein PM, Beenhakker MP, Jones MK, Scott MM. VIPergic neurons of the infralimbic and prelimbic cortices control palatable food intake through separate cognitive pathways. JCI Insight 2019; 5:126283. [PMID: 30939126 PMCID: PMC6538359 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.126283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex controls food reward seeking and ingestion, playing important roles in directing attention, regulating motivation towards reward pursuit, and the assignment of reward salience and value. The cell types that mediate these behavioral functions, however, are not well described. We report here that optogenetic activation of vasoactive peptide expressing (VIP) interneurons in both the infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PL) divisions of the medial prefrontal cortex in mice is sufficient to reduce acute, binge-like intake of high calorie palatable food in the absence of any effect on low calorie rodent chow intake in the sated animal. In addition, we discovered that the behavioral mechanisms associated with these changes in feeding differed between animals that underwent either IL or PL VIPergic stimulation. While IL VIP neurons showed the ability to reduce palatable food intake, this effect was dependent upon the novelty and relative value of the food source. In addition, IL VIP neuron activation significantly reduced novel object- and novel social investigative behavior. Activation of PL VIP neurons, however, produced a reduction in high calorie palatable food intake that was independent of food novelty. Neither IL nor PL VIP excitation changed motivation to obtain food reward. Our data show how neurochemically-defined populations of cortical interneurons can regulate specific aspects of food reward-driven behavior, resulting in a selective reduction in intake of highly valued food.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Marieke K. Jones
- Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Robakiewicz I, Polak M, Rawska M, Alberski D, Polowy R, Wytrychiewicz K, Syperek M, Matysiak J, Filipkowski RK. Stimulus-seeking in rats is accompanied by increased c-Fos expression in hippocampal CA1 as well as short 22 kHz and flat 50 kHz calls. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2019. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2019-029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Nosjean A, de Chaumont F, Olivo-Marin JC, Granon S. Stress-induced brain activation: buffering role of social behavior and neuronal nicotinic receptors. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:4259-4274. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1745-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Durand-de Cuttoli R, Mondoloni S, Mourot A. [Optically dissecting brain nicotinic receptor function with photo-controllable designer receptors]. Biol Aujourdhui 2017; 211:173-188. [PMID: 29236669 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2017022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels widely expressed in the central nervous system and the periphery. They play an important modulatory role in learning, memory and attention, and have been implicated in various diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia and addiction. These receptors are activated by the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine, or by nicotine, the alkaloid found in tobacco leaves. Both molecules open the ion channel and cause the movement of cations across the membrane, which directly affects neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity. nAChRs are very heterogeneous in their subunit composition (α2-10 et β2-4), in their brain distribution (cortex, midbrain, striatum…) and in their sub-cellular localization (pre- vs post-synaptic, axonal, dendritic…). This heterogeneity highly contributes to the very diverse roles these receptors have in health and disease. The ability to activate or block a specific nAChR subtype, at a defined time and space within the brain, would greatly help obtaining a clearer picture of these various functions. To this aim, we are developing novel optogenetic pharmacology strategies for optically controlling endogenous nAChR isoforms within the mouse brain. The idea is to tether a chemical photoswitch on the surface of a cysteine-modified nAChR, and use light for rapidly and reversibly turning that receptor mutant on and off. Here we will discuss the history of optogenetic pharmacology, and the recent advances for the optical control of brain nicotinic receptors in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sarah Mondoloni
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
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Lombardo S, Catteau J, Besson M, Maskos U. A role for β2* nicotinic receptors in a model of local amyloid pathology induced in dentate gyrus. Neurobiol Aging 2016; 46:221-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Konsolaki E, Tsakanikas P, Polissidis AV, Stamatakis A, Skaliora I. Early Signs of Pathological Cognitive Aging in Mice Lacking High-Affinity Nicotinic Receptors. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:91. [PMID: 27199738 PMCID: PMC4846665 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to address pathological cognitive decline effectively, it is critical to adopt early preventive measures in individuals considered at risk. It is therefore essential to develop approaches that identify such individuals before the onset of irreversible dementia. A deficient cholinergic system has been consistently implicated as one of the main factors associated with a heightened vulnerability to the aging process. In the present study we used mice lacking high affinity nicotinic receptors (β2-/-), which have been proposed as an animal model of accelerated/premature cognitive aging. Our aim was to identify behavioral signs that could serve as indicators or predictors of impending cognitive decline. We used test batteries in order to assess cognitive functions and additional tasks to investigate spontaneous behaviors, such as species-specific activities and exploration/locomotion in a novel environment. Our data confirm the hypothesis that β2-/- animals exhibit age-related cognitive impairments in spatial learning. In addition, they document age-related deficits in other areas, such as recognition memory, burrowing and nesting building, thereby extending the validity of this animal model for the study of pathological aging. Finally, our data reveal deficits in spontaneous behavior and habituation processes that precede the onset of cognitive decline and could therefore be useful as a non-invasive behavioral screen for identifying animals at risk. To our knowledge, this is the first study to perform an extensive behavioral assessment of an animal model of premature cognitive aging, and our results suggest that β2-nAChR dependent cognitive deterioration progressively evolves from initial subtle behavioral changes to global dementia due to the combined effect of the neuropathology and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Konsolaki
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of AthensAthens, Greece; Psychology Department, DEREE-The American College of GreeceAthens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Tsakanikas
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens Athens, Greece
| | - Alexia V Polissidis
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens Athens, Greece
| | - Antonios Stamatakis
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens Athens, Greece
| | - Irini Skaliora
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens Athens, Greece
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Geissler DB, Schmidt HS, Ehret G. Knowledge About Sounds-Context-Specific Meaning Differently Activates Cortical Hemispheres, Auditory Cortical Fields, and Layers in House Mice. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:98. [PMID: 27013959 PMCID: PMC4789409 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the auditory cortex (AC) by a given sound pattern is plastic, depending, in largely unknown ways, on the physiological state and the behavioral context of the receiving animal and on the receiver's experience with the sounds. Such plasticity can be inferred when house mouse mothers respond maternally to pup ultrasounds right after parturition and naïve females have to learn to respond. Here we use c-FOS immunocytochemistry to quantify highly activated neurons in the AC fields and layers of seven groups of mothers and naïve females who have different knowledge about and are differently motivated to respond to acoustic models of pup ultrasounds of different behavioral significance. Profiles of FOS-positive cells in the AC primary fields (AI, AAF), the ultrasonic field (UF), the secondary field (AII), and the dorsoposterior field (DP) suggest that activation reflects in AI, AAF, and UF the integration of sound properties with animal state-dependent factors, in the higher-order field AII the news value of a given sound in the behavioral context, and in the higher-order field DP the level of maternal motivation and, by left-hemisphere activation advantage, the recognition of the meaning of sounds in the given context. Anesthesia reduced activation in all fields, especially in cortical layers 2/3. Thus, plasticity in the AC is field-specific preparing different output of AC fields in the process of perception, recognition and responding to communication sounds. Further, the activation profiles of the auditory cortical fields suggest the differentiation between brains hormonally primed to know (mothers) and brains which acquired knowledge via implicit learning (naïve females). In this way, auditory cortical activation discriminates between instinctive (mothers) and learned (naïve females) cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Günter Ehret
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Ulm Ulm, Germany
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16
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Pittaras EC, Faure A, Leray X, Moraitopoulou E, Cressant A, Rabat AA, Meunier C, Fossier P, Granon S. Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors Are Crucial for Tuning of E/I Balance in Prelimbic Cortex and for Decision-Making Processes. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:171. [PMID: 27790159 PMCID: PMC5064178 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Decision-making is an essential component of our everyday life commonly disabled in a myriad of psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar and impulsive control disorders, addiction and pathological gambling, or schizophrenia. A large cerebral network encompassing the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the nucleus accumbens is activated for efficient decision-making. METHODS We developed a mouse gambling task well suited to investigate the influence of uncertainty and risk in decision-making and the role of neurobiological circuits and their monoaminergic inputs. Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of the PFC are important for decision-making processes but their presumed roles in risk-taking and uncertainty management, as well as in cellular balance of excitation and inhibition (E/I) need to be investigated. RESULTS Using mice lacking nAChRs - β2-/- mice, we evidence for the first time the crucial role of nAChRs in the fine tuning of prefrontal E/I balance together with the PFC, insular, and hippocampal alterations in gambling behavior likely due to sensitivity to penalties and flexibility alterations. Risky behaviors and perseveration in extinction task were largely increased in β2-/- mice as compared to control mice, suggesting the important role of nAChRs in the ability to make appropriate choices adapted to the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Cécile Pittaras
- CNRS 9197, Institut de Neuroscience Paris Saclay, Orsay, France; Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées et Unité Fatigue & Vigilance, Brétigny-sur-orge, France
| | - Alexis Faure
- CNRS 9197, Institut de Neuroscience Paris Saclay , Orsay , France
| | - Xavier Leray
- CNRS 9197, Institut de Neuroscience Paris Saclay , Orsay , France
| | | | | | - Arnaud Alexandre Rabat
- Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées et Unité Fatigue & Vigilance , Brétigny-sur-orge , France
| | - Claire Meunier
- CNRS 9197, Institut de Neuroscience Paris Saclay , Orsay , France
| | - Philippe Fossier
- CNRS 9197, Institut de Neuroscience Paris Saclay , Orsay , France
| | - Sylvie Granon
- CNRS 9197, Institut de Neuroscience Paris Saclay , Orsay , France
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Konsolaki E, Skaliora I. Premature Aging Phenotype in Mice Lacking High-Affinity Nicotinic Receptors: Region-Specific Changes in Layer V Pyramidal Cell Morphology. Cereb Cortex 2014; 25:2138-48. [PMID: 24554727 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms by which aging leads to alterations in brain structure and cognitive deficits are unclear. Α deficient cholinergic system has been implicated as one of the main factors that could confer a heightened vulnerability to the aging process, and mice lacking high-affinity nicotinic receptors (β2(-/-)) have been proposed as an animal model of accelerated cognitive aging. To date, however, age-related changes in neuronal microanatomy have not been studied in these mice. In the present study, we examine the neuronal structure of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP(+)) layer V neurons in 2 cytoarchitectonically distinct cortical regions in wild-type (WT) and β2(-/-) animals. We find that (1) substantial morphological differences exist between YFP(+) cells of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and primary visual cortex (V1), in both genotypes; (2) in WT animals, ACC cells are more susceptible to aging compared with cells in V1; and (3) β2 deletion is associated with a regionally and temporally specific increase in vulnerability to aging. ACC cells exhibit a prematurely aged phenotype already at 4-6 months, whereas V1 cells are spared in adulthood but strongly affected in old animals. Collectively, our data reveal region-specific synergistic effects of aging and genotype and suggest distinct vulnerabilities in V1 and ACC neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Konsolaki
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Division of Developmental Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 115 27, Greece
| | - Irini Skaliora
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Division of Developmental Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 115 27, Greece
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Coura RS, Cressant A, Xia J, de Chaumont F, Olivo-Marin JC, Pelloux Y, Dalley JW, Granon S. Nonaggressive and adapted social cognition is controlled by the interplay between noradrenergic and nicotinic receptor mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex. FASEB J 2013; 27:4343-54. [PMID: 23882123 PMCID: PMC3977319 DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-231084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Social animals establish flexible behaviors and integrated decision-making processes to adapt to social environments. Such behaviors are impaired in all major neuropsychiatric disorders and depend on the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We previously showed that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and norepinephrine (NE) in the PFC are necessary for mice to show adapted social cognition. Here, we investigated how the cholinergic and NE systems converge within the PFC to modulate social behavior. We used a social interaction task (SIT) in C57BL/6 mice and mice lacking β2*nAChRs (β2(-/-) mice), making use of dedicated software to analyze >20 social sequences and pinpoint social decisions. We performed specific PFC NE depletions before SIT and measured monoamines and acetylcholine (ACh) levels in limbic corticostriatal circuitry. After PFC-NE depletion, C57BL/6 mice exhibited impoverished and more rigid social behavior and were 6-fold more aggressive than sham-lesioned animals, whereas β2(-/-) mice showed unimpaired social behavior. Our biochemical measures suggest a critical involvement of DA in SIT. In addition, we show that the balance between basal levels of monoamines and of ACh modulates aggressiveness and this modulation requires functional β2*nAChRs. These findings demonstrate the critical interplay between prefrontal NE and nAChRs for the development of adapted and nonaggressive social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata S Coura
- 3Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, UMR 8195, Université Paris Sud, Orsay, 91405.
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Chabout J, Cressant A, Hu X, Edeline JM, Granon S. Making choice between competing rewards in uncertain vs. safe social environment: role of neuronal nicotinic receptors of acetylcholine. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:468. [PMID: 23986674 PMCID: PMC3753430 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In social environments, choosing between multiple rewards is modulated by the uncertainty of the situation. Here, we compared how mice interact with a conspecific and how they use acoustic communication during this interaction in a three chambers task (no social threat was possible) and a Social Interaction Task, SIT (uncertain situation as two mice interact freely). We further manipulated the motivational state of the mice to see how they rank natural rewards such as social contact, food, and novelty seeking. We previously showed that beta2-subunit containing nicotinic receptors-β2(*)nAChRs- are required for establishing reward ranking between social interaction, novelty exploration, and food consumption in social situations with high uncertainty. Knockout mice for β2(*)nAChRs-β2(-/-)mice- exhibit profound impairment in making social flexible choices, as compared to control -WT- mice. Our current data shows that being confronted with a conspecific in a socially safe environment as compared to a more uncertain environment, drastically reduced communication between the two mice, and changed their way to deal with a social conspecific. Furthermore, we demonstrated for the first time, that β2(-/-) mice had the same motivational ranking than WT mice when placed in a socially safe environment. Therefore, β2(*)nAChRs are not necessary for integrating social information or social rewards per se, but are important for making choices, only in a socially uncertain environment. This seems particularly important in the context of Social Neuroscience, as numerous animal models are used to provide novel insights and to test promising novel treatments of human pathologies affecting social and communication processes, among which Autistic spectrum disorders and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Chabout
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195, Université Paris Sud 11 Orsay, France
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20
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Deurveilher S, Ryan N, Burns J, Semba K. Social and environmental contexts modulate sleep deprivation-induced c-Fos activation in rats. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:238-49. [PMID: 23973763 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
People often sleep deprive themselves voluntarily for social and lifestyle reasons. Animals also appear to stay awake longer as a result of their natural curiosity to explore novel environments and interact socially with conspecifics. Although multiple arousal systems in the brain are known to act jointly to promote and maintain wakefulness, it remains unclear whether these systems are similarly engaged during voluntary vs. forced wakefulness. Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry, we compared neuronal responses in rats deprived of sleep for 2 h by gentle sensory stimulation, exploration under social isolation, or exploration with social interaction, and rats under undisturbed control conditions. In many arousal, limbic, and autonomic nuclei examined (e.g., anterior cingulate cortex and locus coeruleus), the two sleep deprivation procedures involving exploration were similarly effective, and both were more effective than sleep deprivation with sensory stimulation, in increasing the number of c-Fos immunoreactive neurons. However, some nuclei (e.g., paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and select amygdala nuclei) were more responsive to exploration with social interaction, while others (e.g., histaminergic tuberomammillary nucleus) responded more strongly to exploration in social isolation. In the rostral basal forebrain, cholinergic and GABAergic neurons responded preferentially to exploration with social interaction, whereas resident neurons in general responded most strongly to exploration without social interaction. These results indicate that voluntary exploration with/without social interaction is more effective than forced sleep deprivation with gentle sensory stimulation for inducing c-Fos in arousal and limbic/autonomic brain regions, and suggest that these nuclei participate in different aspects of arousal during sustained voluntary wakefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Deurveilher
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Layer-specific interference with cholinergic signaling in the prefrontal cortex by smoking concentrations of nicotine. J Neurosci 2013; 33:4843-53. [PMID: 23486955 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5012-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period in which the developing prefrontal cortex (PFC) is sensitive to maladaptive changes when exposed to nicotine. Nicotine affects PFC function and repeated exposure to nicotine during adolescence impairs attention performance and impulse control during adulthood. Nicotine concentrations experienced by smokers are known to desensitize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but the impact thereof on PFC circuits is poorly understood. Here, we investigated how smoking concentrations of nicotine (100-300 nm) interfere with cholinergic signaling in the mouse PFC. nAChR desensitization depends on subunit composition. Since nAChR subunits are differentially expressed across layers of the PFC neuronal network, we hypothesized that cholinergic signaling through nAChRs across layers would suffer differentially from exposure to nicotine. Throughout the PFC, nicotine strongly desensitized responses to ACh in neurons expressing β2* nAChRs, whereas ACh responses mediated by α7 nAChRs were not hampered. The amount of desensitization of β2* nAChR currents depended on neuron type and cortical layer. β2*-mediated responses of interneurons in LII-III and LVI completely desensitized, while cholinergic responses in LV interneurons and LVI pyramidal cells showed less desensitization. This discrepancy depended on α5 subunit expression. Two-photon imaging of neuronal population activity showed that prolonged exposure to nicotine limited cholinergic signaling through β2* nAChRs to deep PFC layers where α5 subunits were expressed. Together, our results demonstrate a layer-dependent decrease in cholinergic activation of the PFC through nAChRs by nicotine. These mechanisms may be one of the first steps leading up to the pathophysiological changes associated with nicotine exposure during adolescence.
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dos Santos Coura R, Granon S. Prefrontal neuromodulation by nicotinic receptors for cognitive processes. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 221:1-18. [PMID: 22249358 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2596-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The prefrontal cortex (PFC) mediates executive functions, a set of control processes that optimize performance on cognitive tasks. It enables appropriate decision-making and mediates adapted behaviors, all processes impaired in psychiatric or degenerative disorders. Key players of normal functioning of the PFC are neurotransmitter (NT) systems arising from subcortical nuclei and targeting PFC subareas and, also, neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). These ion channels, located on multiple cell compartments in all brain areas, mediate direct cholinergic transmission and modulate the release of NTs that cross onto PFC neurons or interneurons. OBJECTIVE We compiled current knowledge concerning the role of nAChRs in NT release, focusing on the PFC. We point out plausible mechanisms of interaction among PFC circuits implicated in executive functions and emphasized the role of β2-containing nAChRs, the high-affinity receptors for acetylcholine (ACh). These receptors are more directly implicated in behavioral flexibility either when located on PFC neurons or in the monoaminergic or cholinergic systems targeting the PFC. RESULTS We shed light on potentially crucial roles played by nAChRs in complex interactions between local and afferent NTs. We show how they could act on cognition via PFC networks. CONCLUSIONS nAChRs are crucial for decision-making, during integration of emotional and motivational features, both mediated by different NT pathways in the PFC. We review the knowledge recently gained on cognitive functions in mice and our current understanding of PFC NT modulation. The combination of these data is expected to provide new hypotheses concerning the role of AChRs in cognitive processes.
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Granon S, Changeux JP. Deciding between conflicting motivations: what mice make of their prefrontal cortex. Behav Brain Res 2011; 229:419-26. [PMID: 22108342 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of the mouse prefrontal cortex and, more specifically, the prelimbic area, to a learning task that highlights a choice between two conflicting motivations, the one for food seeking and the one for novelty exploration. We used a learning paradigm in a cross maze task that targets first motivation conflict and second flexible rule adaptation following environmental changes. We show that mice with prelimbic lesions, which showed normal spatial learning, exhibit impairment in switching from one type of reward - food retrieval - to another type - novelty exploration - and sustained difficulties in adapting their behaviour when the rule is changing repeatedly. Mice, like other mammals, possess a prefrontal cortex that participates in the control of the flexible switch between concurrent natural motivations and in the rapid and flexible adaptation to external changes. These results open a way to study in mice models motivation conflict and cognitive adaptation, brain functions known to be compromised in several psychiatric conditions in humans in which the prefrontal cortex functioning is altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Granon
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11, CNRS 8195, Orsay, France.
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